I debated whether or not I was going to watch this one. I remember when it came out, many raved about it. A24 has had that reputation for a while now of churning out these fancy horror movies. Not that they’re all great. But they’re different. It’s not that Criterion is removed from the horror genre as there are plenty of titles of that variety in it’s catalog. However, it’s not necessarily well known for that. I’d say something similar for A24 except in reverse. They don’t just make artsy horror movies. But they seem to have had no problem staking that one in the ground with enthusiasm. Heretic was another in a string of seemingly nefarious horror films that garnered quite a bit of praise from fans. A24 has cultivated a unique sort of fan. It’s not a one size fits all in many traditional respects, but I do feel like if you look at just the proper angle, you can see how the fandom unites under one umbrella. I don’t consider myself an A24 sycophant of any variety. I’ve enjoyed some of their entries but also been turned off by what seems to be a version of pretentiousness of which I have equal distaste amongst the likes of the Criterion fandom. Allegiance for the sake of itself because of a belief in the relative superiority of the product they offer tends to be a hallmark I don’t count as attractive. It’s not to imply that A24 fans are blindly obsequious to the studio but there is a faction that seems to praise every entry in their studio’s filmography regardless of whether or not it’s of any value. So let’s see what is under the metaphoric hood of this film.
As always, let’s start with the pieces I enjoyed. I don’t think I could get very far without applauding Hugh Grant’s transformation in this film. At least of sorts. I do find Grant to be undeniably himself in a good bit of the film. He’s charming to a fault and trips over his own likability in many senses. But where he shines is by weaponizing his delightfully British wiles to allow for a far more sinister layer of tension to grow as his likability begins to intentionally fade. What I appreciate about it is that I knew that was coming but it still managed to be impressive while it did exactly what I expected it to do. The trailer, while not giving away a tremendous amount of the content of the movie, willfully alluded to the notion that Grant was most definitely a nefarious antagonist. The ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing, as it were. It’s as if Hannibal Lecter was reborn but with a much softer edge and a far more compelling accent. The terror grows exponentially as each layer is peeled away and he is revealed as his darker self with each shedding. From the onset we know that things are not meant to work out for our young protagonists, stumbling happily into his trap without much regard. That’s the magic of Grant in this film. He is eerily disarming. I give them great credit of identifying this early on as the girls are apprehensive of entering his house without a woman present. It would clearly not have proved to be in their favor by any stretch, but as a rule, it serves it purpose against your standard fare abusers. If you don’t watch the door close behind you, a hasty exit is always at your back. But the moment they cross the threshold of his web, they are snared with no escape. Before they even know it’s too late, it’s too late. The key to this is the fact that despite knowing the right thing to do, they take Grant at his word that a wife is waiting inside, which allays their fears. Never stopping to verify. The implied offense of questioning the veracity of his claims was faux pas enough to prevent them from allowing the red flags to be easily visible. In the end, there was no hope for them to elude his snare. It was set well before they ever arrived.
Secondly, the actresses who played Barnes and Paxton were phenomenal. They were very accessible as young ladies who were diligent in their Mormon faith and dedicated to the cause of evangelism. Their steadfastness was believable from the onset but they didn’t cross the line as fanatics. They were still entirely believable as young adult women in their early twenties. The dialogue, especially at the beginning of the film, was very thoughtfully assembled to create their three dimensions and establish them as full fledged persons before the dominos began to topple. We got to know them just well enough to believe in them and establish a real connection. Even when Paxton is embarrassed by the teens who pose for a picture, we are further ingratiated into her character’s likability and easily compelled to side with her. It was very well done both through the performance of Chloe East as the doe eyed Sister Paxton and Sophie Thatcher as Sister Barnes. Even their dynamic of mentor and mentee made their dual performance far more believable and engrossing. The growing nature of Barnes’ defensiveness coupled with the crescendo of Paxton’s deductive revelation over the course of this film made them formidable opponents, despite their age. Grant as Mr. Reed was clearly the aggressor and seemingly in control of all the moving pieces from the onset. He was the puzzle master who had crafted a very intricate deception and lie in wait. But unlike the norm when it comes to female protagonists many times, these two young ladies were brave in spite of their notable terror and lucid in the wake of mounting opposition. The performances were really quite exceptional all around. With such a small cast, it was nice to see everyone working at such tremendous levels of competency to achieve a very compelling outcome.
The dialogue in this film was also very well crafted. Theologically I found myself easily opposed to many of the suppositions but it did not preclude me from enjoying the vehicle the dialogue played in furthering a very deliberate plot. The emotion by which the words were delivered really brought them to life. But even in many of the more tension based thrillers of late, I don’t find the dialogue to often be quite as memorable a participant in the pacing of the film. Each of the players have very complex thoughts and deliver dialogues and monologues with grace and poise that only feeds the beast that is this film. There is intentionality in how things are exposed with a horrific brand of glee present in Grant’s expository throughout the film. It culminates spectacularly in the proposition he’s been building towards and the entire premise stands firmly on a well established foundation of propositions. The myriad of fashions by with the protagonists interact with Grant’s proposals allows us to discover their character and motivation. Paxton’s willingness to appease their devilishly benevolent host as a means of escape is quite poignant in her emotional response to Grant’s belief/disbelief conundrum. Sister Barnes defiance of his circumstantial arguments and retention of her faith in an attempt to exert her own proposed dominance in the equation is markedly gripping as well. It’s all composed in a symphony of words and emotions that ebb and flow through the mounting fear imbued in the context and escalation of the girls’ unfolding scenario. I was quite enthralled with the level by which the dialogue was expressed in a number of forms and fashions.
While I’m happy to heap on high praise for this film, I should note that I wasn’t pushed to the point of appreciation that I would purchase this film. I won’t say there were a number of glaring flaws that prevented me from crossing over. If anything it was that while certain elements of the film we elevated incredibly well, the base premise still persisted as one I don’t have a particular fondness for within the horror genre. Ultimately, as elementary as the idea is, the general ickyness of the plot keeps me from enjoying the finished product to a greater degree. It all hinges upon a grown man trapping two young women for his own delight. While this pleasure isn’t as obscene as other films, thankfully, it’s still not appealing on it’s own. I appreciate the tension of someone desperate to escape a situation and the terror that fumbling to unlock a door or attempting to procure a weapon while the antagonist is otherwise distracted is a tremendous mechanism for creating real fright. I just don’t enjoy it at the expense of imprisoning anyone, especially two vulnerable young ladies. They aren’t incapable by any means. I won’t give away the ending as I enjoyed it. I don’t know that you’d just assume or deduce the ending on it’s own. So I don’t see merit in spoiling it. But the ride isn’t pleasant all to it’s own. What I appreciated, at least to a degree, was that Grant’s spiderlike character lay in wait so spellbindingly that all the typical avenues for escape were shored up well in advance. Many times that is the pitfall of a film like this. You become detached from the protagonist because they are inept in some way. If they’d have just done x, y, or z then they would have survived. Their only real blunder was not trusting their gut instinct to stay outside, which the weather helped dictate that, at least to a degree. I won’t call it lazy because without the girls entering the home, there is no movie. So by creating an impossible situation to truly anticipate, there was not the standard eye roll when they couldn’t merely escape. There was none from the onset and it was designed with expert care. In spite of all that, I still just can’t perpetually enjoy the dynamics of the story. Grant is a tremendous villain and shines fantastically in his role. Both of the young ladies are phenomenal in their craft at such a young age and shone brightly alongside a veteran of the big screen in their own right. For all the things this movie did so well, I can’t help but be deterred by the fact that knowing the outcome as I do now, I don’t have any real compulsion to revisit this film at a later date.
That does not mean I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d certainly put some easy to see caveats out there. My own hesitance to watch this film initially was that I knew, at least to a degree, the direction of the film. Two unsuspecting young ladies are confined unknowingly and once the veil is lifted, the villainous game is afoot. With all the remarkable things they did so well, I have to endorse the execution for what it is. It’s so well done and if the premise is remotely appealing, I believe there’s plenty to enjoy outside of the heinous nature of what transpires. I am thankful that it was not a product of the Saw variety. There is little to no gore, which I know is actually a nonstarter for many in the horror community. This film hinges on emotional manipulation and fascinating tension. I don’t want to over credit my own reservations about the plot devices in the movie so I think I have to place it’s overall value somewhere in the 8 range. I’d say low 8’s. Maybe 8.2ish. I was tempted to say solid 7.6 or 7.7 but I think if I’m objective enough to remove my own biases, the film stands on it’s own merits at a low 8, which is high marks in most books I feel. There are a great many things that were done so well in the whole of this movie. And the inevitable outcome was baked into the premise so I was in tacit agreement to endure the charade to the end. I was considerably impressed by the unfolding of this film. There were a few times I checked the time where the pacing felt ever so slightly droll. It’s a thought provoking movie which doesn’t err on the side of exciting at times. That can drag a bit and if you’re not engrossed by the other elements, it can feel slow. I checked the time at least twice just to see where I was at. I will say the last third of the movie grips you well and keeps you engaged. But pacing might be the only real other detriment I could easily identify. So If this was one you’ve managed to evade to this point but have no strong arguments against the premise of this movie in it’s whole proposition, it is a wildly enjoyable film to behold. I would love to see Hugh Grant revisit a similar role in the future. I like that in his latter years on screen he’s found great ways to still be the Hugh Grant we know and love as well as stretch himself to new heights. I’ll also be looking at the filmography of the other two young ladies. I know Sophie Thatcher has another film I’ve heard good things about, “Companion”. That one may be on my list as well now. So Heretic is probably the first really well made and terrifyingly compelling horror movie I’ve watched so far this year. I definitely recommend it, in spite of my personal woes, as it’s well made and enjoyable on many other accounts. That’s about all I can say about Heretic at this point. So until tomorrow, I’ll catch you on the flip side.
